A design of a multi-family dwelling can be a labor intensive project for an architect. The design must satisfy numerous laws and building codes. Any building site often differs in terms of zoning constraints such as, size, shape, location relative to the sun, surrounding buildings, and topography of the land. Market forces in a given area also dictate the number of bedrooms and finishings of the units in the building. Any changes that the architect makes must accommodate all the building codes, laws, and structural requirements of the building.
Most sites for multifamily housing differ as to size, zoning limits and specific site conditions (view, abutting buildings, sun orientation, access, etc.). Therefore, buildings for these sites must be custom designed.
Building projects typically involve architects, engineers, consultants, and a contractor who work through a design with the developer/owner, one piece at a time. Each piece is often debated until compromise is reached (the bath tile will be this, the kitchen faucet will be that, etc.). This process can take months and sometimes years. Along with other problems, this fragmentation contributes to higher building costs. This is a particular concern for those of us who would like to see widespread development of environmentally friendly (“green”) residential buildings. While there have been many examples of very green buildings, and even some very green housing (most often single family), there are very few examples of market rate green residential buildings that do more than fit LEED certification.
Computer software has made it quicker and easier to make changes to building designs. For example, the Autodesk® AutoCAD® Revit Architecture software is gaining acceptance among architects. This software maintains three-dimensional views of the design. Changes to the design are automatically coordinated.